


Here There Be Dragons

by trascendenza



Category: Big Bang Theory
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, Community: purimgifts, Gen, POV Female Character, Pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-22
Updated: 2010-02-22
Packaged: 2017-10-07 11:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trascendenza/pseuds/trascendenza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Penny wants a pet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here There Be Dragons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hannah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannah/gifts).



"Well, I can't get a cat or a dog because it's against building policy or something, but the landlord said if it was in a cage it was okay," Penny explained to the very bored looking salesgirl. "And, you know, I'm from Nebraska and I always had dogs and cats growing up, so I'm just getting kind of, I don't know, lonely without a cute little face to come home to."

"Warm-blooded mammals are that way," the girl droned, pointing to the other end of the store, "fish to the left, reptiles and invertebrates to the right."

"Snakes and bugs?" Penny said. "Ew."

"I'm sure they feel the same way about you," the girl drawled, going back to stacking paw-shaped containers of doggie treats in a pyramid.

"Um, thanks," Penny said, aware that there was some sort of insult in that statement but unsure whether she should feel offended by it. Shrugging to herself, she headed off in the direction indicated.

It wasn't long before she reached the mammalian area, full of colorful enclosures and plastic mazes. She passed by the bunnies and the chinchillas with a wistful sigh -- no way her apartment was big enough for one of those -- and even though she spent a few minutes cooing at the baby mice and rats, she remembered the way their cages always smelled from the two she'd kept when she was a kid. (Gingersnap and Honeysuckle, and they used to do this adorable thing where they'd sleep head to tail like one giant furry mousy marshmallow.)

She lingered at the fish, impressed with some of the more colorful specimens (and, okay, maybe she puffed out her cheeks and made _blooping_ sounds at them, but no one was around to see it and it couldn't be proven), but ultimately she was hoping for something a little more interactive. She'd learned the hard way that goldfish weren't for petting when she was five (oh, poor little Ralphie, flushed before his time).

She was about to give up and see if maybe she could call the landlord and beg for a small dog or cat when a cage at the edge of the Reptiles &amp; Invertebrates section caught her eye. She was _not_ a reptile or bug person, really, but --

She walked up to the enclosure with her head tilted to the side, curiously, trying to figure out exactly what she was looking at. It was kind of like that little guy from the Geico commercials, so -- a gecko? The gecko was suspended off this orchid plant, little back feet hanging onto the stem and her tiny, wide-fingered hands curled up against her chest primly. It was weird, because it should have been kind of creepy or weird or made her look a like bat or something, but instead it was totally _adorable._ She even had little eyelashes.

"What the heck are you?" Penny mused, and then looked at the label on the enclosure. _Juvenile Crested Gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus). Origin: New Caledonia. Female, captive bred. $65.00._

The gecko stirred in Penny's shadow, the pupil of her enormous and marble-like eye widening.

"Okay," Penny said, pointing a finger at the glass, "but if you're slimy, the deal's off."

*

"It isn't slimy?" Leonard said from across the room where he'd darted as soon as he saw the enclosure set up in Penny's living room.

"No," Penny said, carefully nesting the gecko in her hand. "Not at all. It's so _weird_, you guys, but her skin feels like velvet. And she can jump and walk on walls, it's amazing."

Raj whispered something in Howard's ear.

"Lizard ninja," Howard reported.

"Exactly!" Penny said, then she leaned down, making eye contact with the little unblinking lizard ocular counterpart, her voice going high and cooing the way one would talk to a baby. "Hear that? You're a little ninja."

"What's her name?" Howard asked.

"Stella," she said. "You know, like 'Steeeeeellaaaaaaaa!'" She took in their blank stares. "I'd pretend to tear off my shirt, but my hands are kinda full here."

"That would in no way clarify what you're referencing," Sheldon said.

"Well, take my word for it, it's classic."

"As wonderful as this is, I'm going to need to go back to our apartment to, um, to, um --" Leonard's face twitched. "Not be here."

"Oh, Leonard, come on," she said, walking towards him, hands held out. "She's totally sweet, I guarantee you. And she only peed on me once today! Seriously, just look at her little face, you'll see."

He looked doubtful. "She doesn't have any designs on taking over Tokyo?"

Penny laughed. "Leonard, no. Stop being a baby. At least say hi to her."

"Well," he said, sighing heartily like he was bracing himself. "All right. Just one look."

He leaned over, peering into Penny's cupped hands. A small geckonid head popped out. Stella's tongue darted out, licking over her lips.

"Huh," Leonard said, smiling a little. "You know, she is kinda --"

Stella leapt through the air, coming to land on the center of Leonard's face like an attacking starfish. Leonard made a brief, strangled sound before beginning to tilt backwards with the sudden onset of unconsciousness.

Penny managed to grab Stella off his face before he fell. They gathered around him, looking down.

"You know, I always thought that captive animals were functionally useless," Sheldon commented, "but you may have just changed my mind."

"Ninja," Penny concluded, and they all nodded in agreement.

*

**Author's Note:**

> The gecko pictured is one of our family pets and his name is Enos. (And, for the record, he's one of the cutest things I've ever seen on four legs.)


End file.
